His Substitute Mail-Order Bride

by Sherri Shackelford

  Marlys hustled into the room, inquiring about their progress before barreling down on Russ. “Let me look at that head,” she ordered.

  Arguing was pointless. He’d been in town long enough to realize that once the doctor was set on a path, she rarely diverted.

  Anna caught his gaze with a triumphant gleam in her emerald eyes, and he conceded the fight. He’d promised her he’d sit for an examination, and it was time to pay up.

  “I’m fine.” He crash-landed onto a chair. Agreeing didn’t mean he had to be happy about the unnecessary attention. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

  “No headaches?”

  “Yesterday,” he grudgingly admitted. There was no lying to Dr. Mason. “Not much today.”

  “A blow to the head is often deceptive in its gravity. Be careful of reinjury for the next few weeks. Your body is healing, and another blow to the head will compound the initial damage.”

  “Don’t worry,” Russ said. “I don’t plan on encountering outlaws in the area.”

  Anna glanced up, her expression stricken, and regret dropped like a rock in his stomach. Her guilt over the encounter obviously lingered, despite his directions to the contrary. Why was it that where Anna was concerned, he always managed to say the wrong thing?

  Dr. Mason kept up her examination. “Why wasn’t one of Sheriff Getman’s deputies patrolling the road? He has a duty to protect the traffic between here and Morgan’s Creek.”

  “The mayor was none too pleased. He’ll set the sheriff straight.”

  “If anyone can, it’s Will Canfield.” Dr. Mason gently inspected his eye, and Russ winced. “This should have been stitched yesterday. It’s too late now. The healing has already begun. You’re going to have a scar.”

  “I have it on account that scars are quite rakish these days.”

  He winked at Anna, and she glanced away, but not before he caught a hint of a smile. She was starting to soften toward him.

  Marlys tsked. “You’re worse than my husband. Why don’t men ever take their injuries seriously?”

  “Speaking of your husband, how is the newspaper business these days?” Russ asked. “I wanted to speak with him about some advertising. The Webster County Daily News is flourishing. I’ve gotten business from as far as Wichita from my last advertisement. And I noticed Sam added a column about local crime.”

  “The newspaper is thriving,” Dr. Mason said. “Especially the new column, Boom Town Bulletin. This week alone a toy train has gone missing from the mercantile, and the cook at The Lariat claims a whole side of bacon was stolen off his counter.”

  “A real crime spree.”

  “It gets worse.” Dr. Mason lowered her voice to a dramatic hush. “Deborah placed a pie on the windowsill to cool, and when she came back an hour later, the pie was gone.”

  “Now that’s serious,” Russ declared with mock sincerity. “I’m willing to overlook a toy and some pork, but Miss Frazier’s baking is another story. What’s Sheriff Getman doing now that the town is overrun with thieves? Perhaps we should call in the Marshals?”

  Dr. Mason snorted. “The sheriff won’t do anything. He doesn’t think there’s a problem. Which appears to be his natural state. I have a prime view of the sheriff’s office from my front window. He was snoozing in his chair on the porch outside his office when he was alerted to the outlaws yesterday. After spending a minimum amount of time at the scene of the incident, he returned home and took the rest of the afternoon off to recuperate. Can you imagine? One shoot-out and he needs a vacation.”

  “It was morning when the outlaws struck,” Anna said gently. “I don’t suppose there’s usually much crime that early.”

  “You’re probably right,” Marlys conceded the point. “But he’s got other problems, as well. As much as I’d like to scoff at the petty crimes, someone stole two cords of wood right out of our shed, easy as you please. They might be small things, but if the sheriff doesn’t take care of the minor indiscretions, folks are going to think they can get away with more, and then we’ll have a real problem.” She dabbed a salve onto his head. “The sheriff managed to rouse himself for dinner at Aunt Mae’s, the boardinghouse where the prospective brides usually stay. He can always be relied upon for dinner. And he manages to rouse himself after a bride train. Perhaps he’ll be more focused if he finds a wife.”

  “Millie and Minnie are both good candidates,” Russ said. “No one deserves one of the cousins more than Sheriff Getman.”

  Dr. Mason grew stern. “Russ, be kind.”

  “I am being kind. His house would always be filled with laughter.”

  “Sometimes people giggle when they’re nervous,” Marlys said. “Leah mentioned the two cousins were rather jocular.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Russ murmured beneath his breath. “Have you met them?”

  “Mrs. Linford is the only person I’ve met from the bride train,” Marlys replied.

  “As I said before, I’m not a bride,” came Anna’s startled reply.

  “Merely a turn of phrase.”

  “I mean, I traveled on the bride train, sort of. Most of the way. I only borrowed the ticket.”

  Russ jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of Eden Street. “She’s not staying at the boardinghouse. Cowboy Creek is a fresh start for Mrs. Linford.”

  “I prefer my solitude.” Anna touched her pale cheek. “I mean, I’m not looking to get married. I can’t imagine I’ll attract much notice.”

  She had no sense of her appeal. There was a delicate, subtle beauty to her features and a natural elegance in her figure. She was intelligent and kind. There was a sorrow about her that incited a primal need within him to safeguard her from further harm. She may not want his protection, but that didn’t stop him from caring.

  “You might be surprised by the attention, but the rest of us won’t be.” Marlys glanced between them with a knowing smile. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Linford. The excitement should wear off soon.”

  “Call me Anna.”

  “Then you must call me Marlys. Do you have any chamomile seeds? The Shawnee medicine man assured me that a mixture of lavender and chamomile oils is a soothing balm for skin burns. I’d like to experiment with the mixture.”

  “I have some,” Anna eagerly replied. “You’d be doing me a tremendous favor if you grew the plants. I’ve never stored those seeds beyond a year, and I don’t know if they’ll be viable next summer.”

  “You’re welcome to grow anything you like alongside my own herb garden.” A rare passion exuded from Marlys. “The Shawnee have introduced me to several plants that have previously gone unnoticed to Western medicine.”

  Russ grinned at the pair. Though his contact with her was rare, Russ had come to realize that Marlys was brisk and efficient until her curiosity was piqued, and then she came alive. Anna was obviously the same. The sorrow disappeared from her eyes when she spoke of her gardening.

  Anna sparkled with enthusiasm. “Do you think the medicine man would speak with me? I’m curious to learn about indigenous plants in the area.”

  “I can introduce you. Mind you, I can’t make any guarantees. The local tribes don’t have much reason to trust us.”

  “I’d appreciate anything you can do to help.”

  “The medicine man is called Touches the Clouds. He’s due to visit this week. I never know when. He doesn’t keep track of days.”

  “Did you hear that?” Anna rested her hand on Russ’s shoulder. “This is marvelous.” She flashed a radiant smile, and his breath caught.

  Marlys tapped her chin. “I almost forgot. Touches the Clouds mentioned something last week that disturbed me. Someone has been speaking with the local tribes about selling their land.”

  Russ leaned in. The Shawnee were often considered vulnerable targets. The United States government didn’t consider the protecti
on of the Native American population a high priority.

  “I thought the government owned their land,” Anna said. “Don’t they live on a reservation?”

  “Not this group. There are Eastern Shawnee in the area who were allowed to purchase their land. Although the parcels are managed independently, the entire tribe must agree to any sale of a property.” The doctor pursed her lips. “According to Touches the Clouds, someone attempted to convince the tribe their land was worthless. Foolish man. The tribal elders were able to intervene.”

  Unease skittered down Russ’s spine. “When did this occur?”

  “A few weeks ago.”

  Russ mentally ticked off the days. “That’s about the time someone started purchasing land from the settlers on the outskirts of town.”

  “Are you speaking of Mr. Mitchell?” Marlys titled her head. “The gentleman with the coal mining company? I heard he was giving top dollar for the land. Then again, perhaps he thought the Shawnee were gullible. He wouldn’t be the first to underestimate the Native Americans.”

  “Not Jason Mitchell,” Russ said. “A woman filed the deeds.”

  “The Shawnee didn’t mention a woman when they spoke to me.”

  “Perhaps she’s working with someone. I haven’t tracked down the name yet. I’ve only heard rumors.”

  “Speaking of rumors.” Marlys opened a cupboard and considered the contents. “I heard Dora Edison is back in town.”

  Anna glanced between the two of them. “I haven’t met Dora yet. She’s local?”

  Russ threaded his hands behind his head “Dora, shall we say, has an opportunistic streak.”

  “She prefers rich and powerful men,” Marlys added with a flick of her eyelashes. “She’s a fortune hunter. There’s no tiptoeing around the truth. Before I came to Cowboy Creek, I hear she had her eye on Will Canfield, but he wised up before she could get him to the altar. She never made any secret that she wanted him for his money. I’m being candid for your sake, Mr. Halloway. As the next mayor, she’s bound to set her sights on you soon.”

  Russ shook his head. “I doubt she’d settle for me after Will’s wealth.”

  “Consider yourself fortunate.” Marlys toyed with a length of the bandage. “In any case, she’s been bragging to anyone who will listen that her latest beau has more money than Vanderbilt. I never trust people who have to brag about their wealth. Sounds like a snake oil salesman if you ask me.”

  “I’ll ask the clerk at the land registry if he knows of any suspicious activity,” Russ said. “I don’t like the idea of someone taking advantage of the locals in the area.”

  Leah returned at that moment, her cheeks flushed from whatever treatment Dr. Mason had prescribed.

  She stifled a yawn behind one hand. “My apologies. It was a rather late night.” She looked from Russ to Anna. “I was hoping you two could come by for dinner next Friday.”

  “Your officer is generous,” Anna said. “But as I said before, you don’t have to put yourself out for me.”

  “Don’t be silly. I recall quite clearly when I first came to town from back east. It’s overwhelming. We ladies have to stick together, especially in a town like Cowboy Creek.”

  Anna tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “I don’t know...”

  “We’d like that,” Russ interrupted. “What time?”

  They could stand here arguing politely with one another, or he could agree and save them all some time. He chose the latter.

  “Seven. And just bring yourselves. I have it on good account that Will is going to ask you to dinner tomorrow evening.” Leah sucked in a dramatic breath and splayed her hands. “Be warned, Tomasina is cooking. You might want to have a snack beforehand.”

  Russ chuckled. “Duly noted.”

  Marlys walked Leah to the door, and Anna bent her head close. “I don’t think we should be seen together. I thought we agreed. People will get the wrong impression.”

  “She’s only trying to help you get settled in a new town. There’s no harm in that.”

  “But we’re already having dinner with the mayor.”

  “I’m not that noteworthy, Anna. Being seen with me twice is hardly likely to make the papers.”

  She eyed him as though she didn’t believe his words. “Someone is bound to notice.”

  “You’re far more likely to attract attention than I am.”

  “Me?” She backed away, bumping into the table and toppling a bag of seeds to the floor. “No one knows me here.”

  “Yet.” He knelt and reached for the bag. “There’s still time to become notorious.”

  With trembling fingers, she swept up the seeds. “I just want a little peace and quiet.”

  He pressed his hand over her chilled fingers. “I was only trying to lighten the mood. Neither of us is likely to incite comment.”

  “If you say so.”

  Russ resumed sifting seeds, his thoughts troubled. He certainly didn’t expect everyone he met to take an instant liking to him, but he’d thought he and Anna shared a certain comradery given their history.

  Since her arrival in Cowboy Creek, she insisted on treating him as though his every deed was suspect. He didn’t know what to make of her behavior. Should he cancel the dinners and simply let her be? Yet canceling was liable to provoke more curiosity, and as far as he could discern, Anna loathed attention of any kind.

  The memory of the carefree girl she’d been all those years ago lingered. Surely there was something he could do to bring back that mischievous twinkle in her eyes once more? She needed a few new friends, and Tomasina and Leah were ideal candidates. They were both well-respected and well-connected in town.

  He was doing the right thing. He simply had to convince Anna that his intentions were honorable.

  Perhaps if he knew more about her life, more about her time in Philadelphia, he’d have a better chance at avoiding potential hazards in their friendship. Five years was a long time, and a lot had obviously changed for Anna.

  Not all of it for the better.

  Chapter Seven

  After hearing extravagant tales of Tomasina, Anna wasn’t certain what to expect from the evening. She checked her reflection in the mirror hanging in her suite and turned to the side. Her trunk had yet to be delivered. There’d been a mistake at the depot, and the luggage hadn’t been unloaded. The porter had wired ahead along the route, and he’d assured her they’d locate her missing trunk soon.

  Until then, she was forced to wear either her traveling suit or the second dress she’d stowed in her carpetbag for emergencies. Neither of which was suitable for a more formal engagement.

  Everyone kept assuring her that folks didn’t stand on ceremony in town. Adjusting her collar once more, she gave a silent prayer their words were true.

  She pinned her hat in place and plucked her reticule from the side table. A knock sounded, and she sensed Russ had arrived a few minutes early. He didn’t have the hesitant scratch of a porter.

  “Mr. Halloway,” she greeted him as she opened the door.

  He tipped his hat. “Mrs. Linford.”

  Despite her best intentions, her heart gave an unwelcome jerk. She’d thought all the pesky feelings of love and affection had shriveled inside her, wilted from lack of attention. Russ was like the sun, his smile filled with kindness and warmth, inspiring an unwelcome stirring of attraction.

  His suit was an expensive cut of superfine wool, and a gleaming watch chain stretched across his flat stomach. The swelling around his eye had lessened, and the edges of the purple bruise had faded, though he’d kept the bandage Marlys had placed over the wound earlier.

  Catching her interest, he touched the spot. “I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s appetite.”

  “Never,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  Impressions of him warred in her mind. She’
d wrapped him in a villain’s cloak after he’d broken his engagement with Charlotte, and the costume didn’t fit. He was the same man she recalled as a young girl—handsome and charming with a ready smile and a razor-sharp humor.

  Why must the heart be such a fickle and untrustworthy thing? Susannah had forsaken the chance of this man’s love for a doughy banker with loose jowls who’d treated her poorly in the past. Susannah would rather settle down with a man who’d already disappointed her than risk a future and the chance at real love.

  Susannah was a fool.

  Russ brushed his hair over the bandage. “I thought about borrowing an eye patch from the opera house costume collection.”

  “I’m sure you would have worn it well.”

  Susannah didn’t even realize what a poor choice she’d made. Russ Halloway was everything one expected of a suitor.

  More and more Anna realized that what happened all those years ago wasn’t completely one-sided.

  With the filter of youth dissipated, Anna considered her sister’s husband, the man she’d eloped with, in a new light. Her brother-in-law worked for a publisher and took simpering pride in his appearance. Though not more than twenty when they eloped, he’d carried a silver-topped cane. His collars had been painfully starched, and the precise way he took his seat had been designed to inflict the fewest creases in his trousers.

  Charlotte had found him dashing. Anna had thought him dandified and vain. Then again, Charlotte had been obsessive about looks. And money. The two suited each other. No doubt their walls were papered with looking glasses.

  “You’re smiling,” Russ said, startling her from her thoughts.

  “You act surprised.”

  “You’ve had little enough to smile about since your arrival.”

  She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “No.”

  Turning Charlotte into the villain didn’t make Anna the heroine of the piece. Even if she’d been a few years older when Russ had lived in Philadelphia, Anna paled in comparison to Charlotte. Her hair was not as blond and her eyes were a weak shade of green. She didn’t have Charlotte’s soft voice or retiring manner. She wasn’t the sort of girl who provoked passionate, romantic interest.